Pooja Mandal, a 24-year-old studying agriculture, says she is more comfortable studying at a library than cooped up in her room. “I’m more productive when I’m at a library,” she says. But she doesn’t need to refer to any of the books at the library she visits. She is content sitting by herself and studying.
“I occasionally pick up some magazines when I need a break from my course work. But besides that, I take my own materials to study,” she says. The reason behind not referring to the books available, Mandal says, is because she doesn’t find materials that fit her course. “Most people I see at the library bring their own books and references and just use the space to study,” she adds. Ashok Yadav, a 30-year-old studying for the entrance exam of Public Service Commission, also says the materials he requires for his exams’ preparations aren’t available easily in Kathmandu’s libraries. “The ones they have are either outdated or of no use for me,” he adds. Aayush Subedi, a 21-year-old student in Kathmandu, further mentions that there is absolutely no variety in the kind of books found in Nepali libraries. “I have only visited two libraries, but both had a limited number of books, and the ones they have are either too old or have torn pages,” he says. Shrestha of Kathmandu Valley Public Library claims that although many books are being donated, and the libraries themselves invest money from their allocated budgets to bring in new books, their members are frequently submitting lists of materials that they would want the libraries to keep. “Most of those books are by foreign writers, and we only get to bring in a few that are available at the bookstores,” he says. Rajeev Singh, director of Madan Puraskar Library in Patandhoka, Lalitpur, says every library in Nepal has its speciality. Not every place will have all kinds of books. The Madan Puraskar Library has more than 22,000 materials available, but it’s mostly just Nepali literature. “We have researchers, journalists and students coming in daily for three-four months to go through our archives,” he says. Yadav says, at the Kaiser Library, they have books as old as 1100 years. They are meticulous about preserving these treasures and have been doing so diligently. “But most of these books mean nothing for young readers who are looking for, say, fiction, fantasy and the like,” he adds. Jayanti Silwal, co-founder, Sanu Ko Pustakalaya in Manbhawan, Lalitpur, says that youths are more into reading new publications, especially ones in English. “Many of our patrons provide us with a list of books that they want to read,” she adds. On the other hand, Prem Raj Adhikari, chief librarian at Nepal National Library in Madhyapur Thimi, Bhaktapur, says those who visit libraries these days do so because they need a peaceful atmosphere that a restaurant, cafe or a co-working space simply can’t provide. Most of them aren’t looking for books or reference materials. With so much content available online, there is no dearth of information. “I believe that the visitors are more interested in the vibe that a library creates,” he says. Subedi agrees. “I can adjust with libraries not having a book I’m looking for as long as it has a good, clean, and well-lit study space,” he says. What Adhikari finds problematic is that most libraries aren’t spacious or comfortable enough. There aren’t ample seating areas, or proper bathrooms. Many don’t provide drinking water and that can be a nuisance, he says. “To make things worse, most libraries are located on the ground floor. So, it’s always damp and cold,” he says. Mandal verifies the claim. She visited many other libraries before deciding to be a regular at Nepal Bharat Library in Kantipath, Kathmandu. “Many libraries didn’t have proper lighting, were cold, lacked good bathrooms, or had an outdoor studying area that was generally very noisy,” she says. However, the dearth of good libraries means that the ones that are good get crowded quite easily. Mandal wishes there were a system where library-goers could have their own reserved space, to read and to study. Currently, most libraries have small desks with benches that people need to share and that gives them no personal space. “The seats are not separated and everyone needs to study together. That leads to a lot of distraction,” she says. Yadav who is studying for Public Service Commission exams says most of the libraries are in close proximity to one another. It’s very rare that you will find one in your community. Chances are, you will have to take a bus or two to get to one, and that the trip will take an hour at the least. Then there’s also the issue of many libraries allowing readers to read at their premises but not to borrow books to take home. People ApEx spoke to say they would like to take out books from the library so that they could read at their own pace, without the need to keep going back and forth for it. Rajesh Yadav, a 28-year-old German-language instructor, says he was discouraged from visiting a library after he was told not to take a book home. “I can’t finish a book in one sitting, and I can’t spend day after day at the library reading,” he says. Singh of the Madan Puraskar Library mentions that a lot of students don’t return when they realize they can’t take books with them. But that isn’t true for all libraries. Silwal mentions that their library has always allowed their readers to take books home and return it within a month. The same is true for the Kathmandu Valley Public Library. Despite that, many students are only looking for a peaceful space at their workstation, says Silwal. “I think it’s the cozy environment with silence and no distraction that these students are looking for in order to study,” she adds, “And most of these students are ones who stay at hostels.” Mandal, who shares a room at a hostel, says that for them a library is a great place to sit and study, compared to a hostel room where you are hardly ever alone and it’s never quiet. It doesn’t matter that these libraries don’t have books that fit their courses. “It has become a second home for many students on a tight budget who can’t afford to splurge at restaurants and cafes,” she says.
